


But all I’ve ever learned from love

by Cheesecloth



Series: Asexual Awareness Week [6]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Aro Elsa, Aromantic, Coming Out, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheesecloth/pseuds/Cheesecloth
Summary: Elsa gathers up the courage to confess something to her sister, Anna.





	But all I’ve ever learned from love

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [GallifreyanFairytale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GallifreyanFairytale/pseuds/GallifreyanFairytale) in the [GenAndAroPrompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts) collection. 

The queen of Arendelle walked along her quiet halls. Its silence was deafening; filling the empty spaces with words that looped in Elsa’s head like an old record.

She reached her sister’s door and heaved a tired sigh. 

Elsa knocked on the patterned door, careful to add an extra sixth beat so it would not remind her poor sister of the years of loneliness just one less knock would recount. 

“Elsa?” Anna asked from within. 

The door opened a smidge, and upon seeing her stressed sister, Anna rushed Elsa into her room. 

“Sit, sit. Kristoff’s away with Sven for the morning, with all the ice around. You know how they love ice- Oh, I’ve still got some warm cocoa from noon- oh, it’s a bit cold though- you like cold, right? Wow, you look pretty stressed- I mean- well that was kind of rude of me wasn’t it- ah! I’m sorry.” 

Elsa listened with pleasant amusement. She’s glad they’re closer, now. Her hands twitched, briefly remembering the hollow tint of pain that colored her days before, when she was afraid of her own powers, and afraid of what it could do to Anna. But all that was past them now. She can control her powers, and Elsa reconnected with her dear sister. She was even the best woman at Anna’s wedding. No, there was a new problem now. And she didn’t want to hide from anyone anymore. She didn’t want to hide from her sister. 

“Anna,” she gently beckoned. 

Her sister sat on her bed across from Elsa’s chair, gingerly fiddling with the cold cocoa. 

“How are you doing, Elsa?” Anna tried a different approach. 

“I’m…” 

Anna tilted her head, frowning. “Is something wrong?” 

“Yes,” Elsa whispered. 

Anna jumped off her bed with a start, spilling some of the cocoa and uttering a quick apology. 

“Elsa, did something happen? Are you okay? If someone said something, or hurt you- you know I would do anything for you! I keep a bat hidden behind the curtains-“ 

“Oh, Anna.” Elsa shook her head, dismissing and purposefully ignoring that last statement. “The advisors want me to marry.” 

Anna immediately settled down, no longer reaching for the curtains. “That’s not too bad is it?” 

The resulting quiet of the room became tense, like Elsa’s shoulders. 

“That’s…not what you want?” Anna guessed, unable to wait in the silence anymore.

“No.” 

“Well, who would want an arranged marriage anyway?” Anna laughed. Her grin faltered when she saw her royal sister’s shoulders start to tremble. 

A tear slipped free before Elsa could stop it. 

“I just feel so trapped, Anna.” 

“You don’t have to listen to them, Elsa! You’ll find that special someone! I just know the advisors won’t mind if you, you know, forsake their whole ‘arranged marriage’ schtick and marry for love?” 

“But that’s just it, Anna. I don’t want to marry for love either.” 

Anna blinked, stupefied. “Wha-?” 

Elsa hugged herself, fingers tightly digging into her own arms. Her voice rose a little in what she felt must be hysterics. 

“I’ve never… felt that way. Toward anyone. That spark of romance you always talk about? I’ve never felt that, Anna. I don’t think I can. And when I try to imagine falling in love with someone- it’s unthinkable. I don’t want that. I don’t feel that. I-“ 

“Oh! I get it!” 

Elsa’s unsteady, tear-filled gaze tore away from the floor and she looked up at her sister in disbelief. 

“Really?” 

“Oh, definitely! Oaken, the shopkeeper I told you about from the, uh, adventure in the storm, has a daughter who’s uninterested in romance too. And she has a friend, too, in their ice village, who’s also uninterested in romance. He makes a good snow cone though. We should visit them sometime! The snow is so fresh out there and I know you like, well, the cold-“ 

“Anna!” Elsa caught the attention of her babbling sister. Anna paused mid sentence and laughed timidly. 

“Sorry. I did it again didn’t I?” 

“There’s more people like me?” 

“Oh! Yeah! Loads, I bet! Seriously, you look like you need a break anyway, and I’m totally serious about that trip to Wandering Oake’s Trading Post and Sauna! It’ll be like a nice vacation! It’s almost July, so he’ll have his summer blowout sale again, with all this ‘summer snow’- oh, I’m doing it again aren’t I? I’m sorry Elsa. Yeah, there’s more people like you. And not being interested in romance is okay. You don’t have to be like everyone else, because everyone else is not like you. So the way I see it, you don’t need anyone’s permission to be yourself. And you’re the queen! Technically you don’t have to listen to the advisors, and in this case, I’d suggest you don’t. I want you to be happy, Elsa. So, don’t marry. I’ll love my sister all the same- ooF!” 

Anna was cut off by an emphatic hug from Elsa. She laughed a little as the queen squeezed her tightly, unable to vocalize her gratitude quite yet with how much her sniffling tears and glad, speechless heart were obstructing her. 

When they parted, Elsa was still sniffling. Anna hugged her once more for good measure before guiding Elsa to sit down again. 

“You’ll be okay, Elsa. You really will. And seriously, I’ve got that bat,” Anna gestured to her curtains again, “so if any of the advisors try to say otherwise-“ 

“Thank you, Anna. Truly. Thank you.” 

Anna smiled. It looked as though a weight were lifted from her sister’s shoulders. She’s glad to be able to help, now. 

“You’re welcome, Elsa.” 

“Want to get some warm cocoa?” Elsa asked, looking pointedly at the floor while wiping at her eyes with a grin. 

Anna glanced at the cup of what used to contain cold cocoa on the floor. “Oops.” 


End file.
